Vehicle radiator core assembly

ABSTRACT

A vehicle radiator core assembly that includes a plurality of coolant tubes and a core protector mounted at the front of the core on the upstream side of the coolant air stream to intercept damaging flying foreign objects carried by the air stream, the protector including an open network of intersecting rigid strips arranged on edge relative to the core with each strip shaped to receive another strip so as to be self-supporting prior to permanent joining of the strips.

United States Patent [54] VEHICLE RADIATOR CORE ASSEMBLY 1 Claim, 2 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S.Cl. 165/134, 165/148, 52/668, 52/669 [51] 1nt.Cl. Fl6s3/08, F28f 19/00 [50] FieldoiSearch 52/667.

Primary Examiner-Henry C. Sutherland Attorney-Hofgren, Wegner, Allen, Stellman & McCord ABSTRACT: A vehicle radiator core assembly that includes a plurality of coolant tubes and a core protector mounted at the front of the core on the upstream side of the coolant air stream to intercept damaging flying foreign objects carried by the air stream, the protector including an open network of intersecting rigid strips arranged on edge relative to the core with each strip shaped to receive another strip so as to be self-supporting prior to permanent joining of the strips.

s s kelerenees Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,859,664 5/ 1932 Fulda 52/666 3,336,714 8/1967 Vecchiarelli et a1. 52/674 2,488,627 11/1949 Hisey.= 165/151 VEHICLE RADIATOR CORE ASSEMBLY This invention relates to a radiator tube protector for protecting against solid particle abrasion of the tubes of a radiator core that is adapted to have cooling air blown through it.

The radiator cores of internal combustion engines used in heavy duty earth moving equipment and similar installations are cooled by rotating fans blowing air through the core. When the equipment is used in moving earth, there are frequently entrapped stones and other solid particles that are caught up in the cooling air stream and blown against the core. These solids, and especially those entering the core at sharp angles caused by the rotating fan, abrade and wear away the core, particularly the coolant tubes. The protector of this invention provides protection for these radiator cores to retard severe abrasion by these angularly projected solid particles.

In manufacturing tube protectors of this type made up of interconnected strips of material it is difficult to provide adequate jigs for holding the strips in proper relationship to each other while they are being permanently joined to each other as by brazing. One of the features of this invention is to provide a radiator tube protector adapted to be arranged adjacent a set of radiator tubes and connecting fins to intercept damaging flying foreign objects such as those caught up in a cooling air stream with the protector comprising an open network of intersecting rigid strips arranged on edge relative to the tubes with each strip arranged to receive another strip and all strips being snugly engaged at their contacting areas to be self-supporting without requiring separate fastening means or jigs preparatory to permanent joining of the strips to each other.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Of the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan view partially in section of a fin and tube radiator with a protector embodying the invention in position to intercept damaging flying foreign objects.

FlG. 2 is a perspective view partially exploded of the tube protector of FIG. 1.

As is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, the radiator tube protector of this invention not only comprises a plurality of intersecting rigid strips such as of low carbon steel arranged on edge with each strip shaped to receive another strip but also includes the requirement that the strips snugly engage each other at their contacting areas to be self-supporting without requiring separate fastening means. Thus, in effect, the assembly of strips is self-jigging in that additional holding means are not required while the strips are being permanently joined to each other as by brazing at their contacting areas. As is well known in the metal joining art, copper brazing is an ideal form of brazing.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2 the protective grid is in a triangular pattern that is extremely rigid before permanent joining because of its triangular construction. Here slotted serpentine strips 33 are joined by cooperating slotted straight strips 34. In order that the triangles formed by intersecting strips 33 and 34 are substantially equilateral as shown, the

strips 33 of one set of the two sets of strips 33 and 34 have angles as shown each of about This causes adjacent sections of adjacent strips to define a series of substantially equilateral triangles.

Having described our invention as related to the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings, it is our intention that the invention be not limited by any of the details of description, unless otherwise specified, but rather be construed broadly within its spirit and scope as set out in the accompanying claims.

We claim:

1. A vehicle radiator core assembly, comprising: a plurality of spaced coolant tubes subjected when in use to a cooling air stream carrying entrained solid particles, the air stream flowing through said core from an upstream side of the core to a downstream side; and a core rotector mounted at said core on the upstream side thereof or intercepting said solid particles comprising an open network of intersecting rigid strips arranged on edge relative to said core in which said strips are arranged in two parallel intersecting sets, the strips of one set being angularly serpentine and the strips of the other set being straight and intersecting at the angles of said one set, and said angles are each about 120 in order that adjacent sections of adjacent strips define a series of substantially equilateral triangles, each strip having side edges, one side edge of each strip having spaced inwardly extending slots snugly receiving similar strips to be self-supporting and self-jigging without requiring separate fastening means preparatory to permanent oining. 

1. A vehicle radiator core assembly, comprising: a plurality of spaced coolant tubes subjected when in use to a cooling air stream carrying entrained solid particles, the air stream flowing through said core from an upstream side of the core to a downstream side; and a core protector mounted at said core on the upstream side thereof for intercepting said solid particles comprising an open network of intersecting rigid strips arranged on edge relative to said core in which said strips are arranged in two parallel intersecting sets, the strips of one set being angularly serpentine and the strips of the other set being straight and intersecting at the angles of said one set, and said angles are each about 120* in order that adjacent sections of adjacent strips define a series of substantially equilateral triangles, each strip having side edges, one side edge of each strip having spaced inwardly extending slots snugly receiving similar strips to be self-supporting and self-jigging without requiring separate fastening means preparatory to permanent joining. 